1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrical connectors in general and in particular to electrical connectors used in data communications systems.
2. Prior Art
Electrical connectors, hereinafter referred to as data connectors, are widely used in the communications industry. Usually, data connectors are used to attach data terminal equipment (DTE) to communications highways. DTE is a generic term which may include computers, printers, word processors, displays, etc. The data connectors transmit electrical signals representative of data between the DTE and the communications highway. In order to control radiation emission, the FCC and foreign governments have set radiation limits above which a product, such as the data connector, should not radiate. Failure to meet the set limits or standard could result in severe penalties.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,501,459 (Re. 32,760) describes a prior art data connector. With reference to FIG. 7 each member consists of a plurality of terminals 16 mounted in a terminal block 15. The connector consists of identical hermaphroditic mating members. The terminals have wire connecting sections and folded resilient contact sections (not shown) for mating with similar folded resilient contact sections of a complementary mating member. The terminal block 15 is mounted in a housing. The housing includes a non-conducting lower cover plate 12 which has a wire connecting end aligned with the wire connecting section of the terminals and an open end for mating with a similar lower cover plate of a complementary mating member, aligned with the contact sections of the terminals. A non-conducting upper cover member 11 co-acts with the lower non-conducting plate to form a casing about the terminals. A conductive upper ground shield 13 and a conductive lower ground shield 14 are provided with interlocking members and are placed inside of the upper and lower cover plates. The housing is open at the mating contact sections of the terminals and, except for an opening formed by 51 and 49, is closed at the wire connecting sections of the terminals. A shielded cable carrying a plurality of conductors is inserted through the opening. The conductors are each connected to the wire connecting section of a selected terminal and the cable shield 129 firmly connected to the ground shield via elements 65, 70 etc.
For EMI purposes, the prior art data connectors work well provided that the data rate is within the range of 4 Mb/sec. Whenever the data rate exceeds the 4 Mb/sec range, the radiation from the prior art data connector may exceed acceptable radiation limits.